


Spare Key

by gummyrubi



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Ace judai strikes again, College AU, Fanart, Gen, M/M, but it's for the sake of the fic lol, johan is his new neighbor, judai gets locked out of his own apartment an unnecessary amount of times, this fic now has fanart!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 10:38:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14306889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gummyrubi/pseuds/gummyrubi
Summary: If Judai could stop getting himself locked out of his own apartment over and over again, that would be great. Well, at least he has a cute neighbor to keep him company.





	Spare Key

Judai sighed as he sat outside his apartment. He locked himself out again and needed to wait for Asuka to come with his spare key.

He’d given one to her because this happened all the time and he was tired of calling a locksmith to do this every time.

Judai wrapped his hoodie a little closer, a shield for the wind that started picking up around him, drawing his knees up to his chest. He put one arm around them and pulled his phone out of his backpack. Asuka said she’d be there in about an hour, since she was still at work.

He never left a key hidden outside because he was paranoid.

He briefly debated whether to open up youtube and mindlessly kill time or just pull out a textbook when he heard a soft meow.

Judai lifted his gaze from his phone to see a tiny black kitten standing a couple feet from him.

He didn’t spot an owner nearby. “Hello.”

“Mew.”

Judai slowly lowered his phone to the ground so as not to startle the kitten. It was small, but it didn’t suddenly run off. It had a little red collar with a small silver bell on it. “Are you lost?”

“Meow.”

The kitten walked over to him with big green, curious eyes. It sniffed at Judai’s outstretched hand and gently headbutted him. Judai took it as a greenlight to carefully scratch the kitten behind its ear.

“You’re adorable,” Judai commented.

“Meow.” The kitty seemed to agree with him and Judai laughed.

“Ruby!” a voice called out nearby. The kitten’s ears perked up.

“Ruby!” the voice called again.

“Meow!” the kitten replied.

“Your name must be Ruby,” Judai said, still petting the kitten. It was nice that he had this cute little fluffball temporarily keeping him company. “And it sounds like your owner is looking for you.”

The kitten merely sat down, letting her tail wrap around her. She mewled in content.

“There you are,” a relieved voice said, close to Judai.

Brown eyes looked up and they trailed from brown boots, black leggings and an oversized lavender sweater to the prettiest green eyes Judai’d ever seen. The blue hair was also a lovely sight.

“I hope she didn’t bother you,” the guy spoke, his voice soft and gentle.

The kitten—Ruby—mewled happily and trotted over to her owner who picked her up and held her to his chest where she seemed perfectly relaxed.

(art by [bellaraeanne](http://bellaraeanne.tumblr.com/post/175825561206/if-judai-could-stop-getting-himself-locked-out-of))

“Ruby, you can’t go around exploring like that, you’re going to bother the neighbors.”

“She wasn’t any trouble; she’s adorable.” Judai said, “Did you say neighbor?”

The guy smiled when he looked at him. Ruby was licking his hand that was cupped under her face. “Yup, I’m your upstairs neighbor, at least I assume this is your apartment?”

Then, he was the person that moved in last week.

Judai looked sheepish. “It is, I just locked myself out again.” He glanced at his phone but saw no new messages from Asuka. “I’m waiting for my friend to come let me in.”

His blue-haired neighbor titled his head to the side a bit. “Your roommate?”

Judai shook his head. “I gave her a spare key because I can’t be trusted with my keys.”

His neighbor nodded in understanding. “Then it happens often?”

Judai winced. “Too often.”

The wind suddenly picked up, pushing his neighbor forward a little; he pushed his hair back, which stubbornly tried to sweep into his eyes. “It’s cold out, when is your friend coming?”

Judai checked his phone. “’Bout an hour.”

His neighbor held Ruby close, to shield her from the wind. “It’s chilly out, would you like to wait for your friend in my apartment?”

“I don’t want to bother you.”

His neighbor shook his head with a smile. “No bother at all. ‘Sides, Ruby likes you.”

“Ruby does seem like a good judge of character,” Judai cheekily replied.

His neighbor winked, holding a hand out to him. “My name’s Johan.”

“Johan,” Judai repeated, enjoying the way his name felt on his lips. He grinned and too the offered hand. “I’m Judai.”

The grip was warm, strong. Judai followed Johan up the stairs and into Johan’s apartment.

“Excuse the mess, I haven’t full unpacked,” Johan apologized, setting Ruby down and stepping aside so Judai could enter.

The apartment was neat, save for some boxed here and there. It was decorated in pastels. It was warm, inviting. Judai wondered if all of Johan was like that.

Ruby happily darted off, quickly vanishing from sight.

Johan made some chamomile and vanilla tea and the two talked. Both of them were attending the same college, different majors. Both were working part-time, Johan as a waiter and Judai at a shop in the mall nearby.

The whole time they spoke, Judai couldn’t pull his eyes from Johan. The way he deliberately held his mug, with both hands wrapped around the warmth whenever he set it back on the table. The way Johan tucked a stubborn strand of hair behind his ear. The way he smiled fondly at Ruby whenever she mewled and made an appearance, nuzzling at his socked feet.

Judai was too busy staring that he startled when his phone rang, the ringtone he’d set for Asuka. He pulled out his phone from his back pocket and winced when he saw ten texts from her.

“Sorry Asuka!” he answered the call.

“Where are you?” she sounded tired, as she would be after a shift at work.

“I’m coming,” and he hung up. He looked apologetically at Johan, “I’m sorry, I lost track of time.”

Johan shook his head with a smile. “It was nice to meet you.” He stood up and walked Judai out.

He nodded. “Thanks for inviting me into your home.” Judai bent down to pet Ruby near the door. He smiled at Johan.

Green eyes twinkled. “I’ll see you around.”

And Judai left, rushing down the stairs to thank Asuka for letting him into his own home. Again.

“Honestly Judai,” Asuka shook her head, but she seemed more amused than annoyed.

“Thank you,” he grinned. “I’ll treat you to lunch tomorrow.”

Asuka lit up at the thought of food.

* * *

 

Johan came home from work carrying a bag of groceries to make dinner. He walked up to his apartment building, stopping in front of the stairs where he saw a familiar neighbor.

“Hi Judai,” he greeted at the figure who was sitting at the bottom of the steps.

“Hi Johan,” he replied with a slight wave.

“Locked out again?” It had only been a couple weeks since they met, where Judai had been locked out before.

“Yup.” Asuka wouldn’t be here for two hours.

“Wanna come over for a bit? I’m making dinner.”

“I don’t want to trouble you.”

Johan smiled, “No trouble. I can put you to work, help me cut the vegetables. I bet Ruby misses you.”

“Does she? Then, I’d love to.”

Judai helped out just enough to cut the vegetables and Johan made the rest of dinner. Judai felt lucky for once that he forgot his keys.

* * *

 

Rain poured in icy cold buckets, relentless, heavy.

There Judai sat, outside his door, hoping the ledge would be enough to shield him from the freezing onslaught. He wore a jacket that was mostly soaked through as the winds swept the rain in all directions.

Of course he didn’t have an umbrella; he didn’t have his keys why would he remember an umbrella?

So he was stuck out here until Asuka got out of her lab.

“Oh Judai, not again,” came Johan’s worried voice nearby.

Brown eyes looked up, blinking through the raindrops. “Like a broken record, huh?” He grinned.

Johan, who stood under a white umbrella decorated with cherry blossoms and plum blossom flowers, looked at the drenched puppy before him with a frown. He immediately walked over to him, keeping the umbrella over them both.

Judai stood up and got closer so Johan wouldn’t get too wet from the lack of umbrella behind him. Johan took his hand.

“Come on, you gotta warm up before you get sick.”

So Judai found himself shivering inside Johan’s apartment, staying at the entrance because he didn’t want to track water inside. Ruby saw his drenched self and walked away, presumably not wanting to deal with that and instead going to sleep.

Johan appeared with a fluffy, pink towel. He dropped it onto Judai’s head. “Use this. You can change into my clothes.”

Judai blushed, standing this close to Johan who gently dried his hair with the towel when he noticed the way Judai froze up.

“Thank you,” Judai whispered, watching Johan’s concerned face. They stood close, closer than they had before.

Johan was kindness and warmth. He was soft smiles and fond expressions. He was bright.

And Judai was pretty sure his heart pounding, rushing as Johan gently chided him about his keys, meant something.

“Can I give you my spare key?” Judai blurted out, cutting Johan off.

Johan froze, green eyes questioning. “You mean the one Asuka has?” Johan had stopped drying him but kept his hands on the towel.

“I have another, in case I lost the spare.”

Johan chuckled with a shake of his head. “All because you can’t keep track of them.”

“I can’t be trusted with them.”

Johan dropped the towel over Judai’s face with a grin. “Alright, but try to make an effort with your keys, you wouldn’t want to lose them.” He stepped back looking amused.

Judai lifted the towel looking cheeky, “Deal. Don’t want you to worry.”

Johan playfully rolled his eyes. “Please.”

* * *

 

A knock at the door drew Judai’s attention from his textbook.

He opened the door in his pajamas, eyes blinking curiously. “Johan?”

“Honestly, it’s a miracle I find you’re inside your apartment for once,” Johan quipped innocently.

“Haha,” Judai rolled his eyes and stepped to the side so Johan could come in.

He walked in but didn’t go much further than the entrance. “I have to go to work soon but I came to give you something.”

Judai had dropped off his other spare key with Johan last week. Johan hadn’t hesitated to put it on the lanyard where his other keys were because he wasn’t going to let them both forget that key.

Johan held his hands out and showed him a puffball of some kind. Judai raised a brow and took it, peering at it closely. It was a brown puffball with big purple and yellow eyes and tiny white wings. It was a keychain.

“For your keys.”

“It’s very cute.” Judai said, walking over to the table where he last saw his keys. Thankfully they were there and he quickly attached it to his keys.

“Thanks, I had some trouble with the wings, but I got them eventually.” Johan looked shy but happy that Judai liked the gift.

“You made this? I love it, thank you.”

“Maybe it’ll help you remember your keys.”

“I’m a bit of a lost cause.”

“Think of the little fluffball.”

“I’ll name him Hane Kuriboh.”

Johan grinned. “Perfect.”

* * *

 

It had been months since Judai last locked himself out. So now, after two months--his longest streak--here he was outside his apartment.

He and Johan had been hanging out more and more, after class, after work. Sometimes Judai went to Johan’s for dinner. They hung out with Asuka and Johan’s friend Jim a lot too.

Hane Kuriboh hung on his backpack, or on a belt loop.

Today Judai had been running late this morning for class and in his haste, he’d forgotten his keys as his door locked behind him. He didn’t even think about it until he returned home that night only to pat himself down for his keychain and find it missing.

He groaned, disappointed in himself. Judai took out his phone and shot Johan a text, cringing when he saw it was after midnight.

_I forgot Hane Kuriboh at home, can you let me in?_

Johan’s work schedule changed at the whim of his supervisor so he never quite knew when his friend was working or not. He resigned himself to sit outside and wait. Asuka still had his other spare key but she was out of town that weekend.

Instead of getting a reply a few minutes later, he heard Johan’s front door open.

“Sorry Judai, I was sleeping,” he apologized, making his way down the stairs as Judai whipped around at his words.

There Johan was, wearing an oversized pink sweater, tiny black sleeping shorts that peeked out from under the sweater and bunny slippers. Johan covered his mouth with his hand to stifle a yawn while the other hand held his lanyard.

“You’re so cute,” Judai blurted out right as Johan put his key in.

He opened the door, yawning. “You too, but you’d be even cuter if you didn’t forget poor little Hane Kuriboh,” Johan teased, sleepily rubbed at his eyes and walked over to a frozen Judai. Johan gave him a kiss on the cheek, then walked back up the stairs. “Goodnight, Judai.” He closed his door behind him.

Judai watched him leave with a dark blush on his cheeks. He autopiloted back into his apartment, closed the door and leaned against it, pensive and in mild shock.

He found his Hane Kuriboh lying innocently forgotten on his couch and he poked it. “I think I have a chance with him."

* * *

 

The next month Johan and Judai didn’t get to see each other much because of classes and work but they texted here and there, neither bringing up the kiss. Judai made sure he was always holding Hane Kuriboh everytime he left the apartment and he hadn’t needed Asuka or Johan to let him in lately.

He bumped into Johan when they were both coming home from work, on one of those rare days that they finished their shifts at the same time.

“Hi Judai,” Johan greeted first.

Judai grinned at him. “Haven’t seen you in a while, want some brownies Asuka brought over?”

“Sure.” He made to pull out his spare key but he heard Judai pull out his key first. Johan smiled. “Lemme just go feed Ruby real quick.”

About an hour later, after they finished the brownies while they were sitting close together on Judai’s couch watching terrible movies on Netflix, Judai finally decided to say something.

“Hey, Johan?”

“Hmm?” He was paying attention to the movie, but he pulled his gaze from the screen to look at his friend.

Judai looked embarrassed suddenly. “I was just wondering if, you’d like to go out sometime?”

“Like on a date?” Johan blinked innocently causing Judai’s cheeks to redden.

He nodded shyly in response.

Johan chuckled. “I’d love to.” A teasing smirk spread across his face. “You already gave me your keys, we should totally try taking it slow this time.”

The movie in the background went on, forgotten.

Judai covered one side of his face because he could feel how warm his cheeks were. “How long have you known about my crush?”

“When you were in my apartment, drenched and blushing with a towel on your head.” Johan didn’t hold back and he laughed when Judai covered the rest of his face and groaned.

“You’ve let me stew in this for a while.”

Johan tapped a finger to his chin. “I dunno. I don’t make super cute keychain plushies for just anyone.” He grinned cheekily and Judai was _so_ gone on him.

* * *

 

They stood kissing in front of Judai’s apartment. Judai had Johan pressed against the door, hands on Johan’s waist. His arms were around Judai’s neck holding Judai as close as he could, pressed chest to chest.

They were kissing, softly, sweetly, deeply, trying to feel as much of each other as they could.

Johan pulled back slightly, smiling when Judai followed him to continue kissing him. It had been like this since they got together a month ago and they were sure it wasn’t ever going to stop. Johan lowered his hands so they rested on Judai’s shoulders. “Are you gonna let me in?”

Judai kissed down his jaw and neck, enjoying the way Johan moved to give him more room, moaning softly in content. Judai searched his pockets for a bit, enough for Johan to sigh.

“Again, Judai?”

Judai grinned, pressing his forehead against Johan’s.

He pulled out his keys, Hane Kuriboh innocently bouncing on his keychain.

Judai kissed him again. “I never forget my keys anymore.”

Johan kissed back. “Sure, sure, whatever you say.” But he always carried the spare key too.

Just in case.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey I'm back with another ss fic lol  
> I wrote this whole fic then wondered, is it possible to lock yourself out of your apartment??? The answer is yes, but hopefully no one gets locked out as much as Judai does lol  
> Come find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/gummyrubi) and [tumblr](https://chocomonki.tumblr.com)!  
> 7.18.18 Look at the lovely art drawn by [bellaraeanne](https://bellaraeanne.tumblr.com)!!!


End file.
